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Christy Clark TV Address Offers Few Surprises (VIDEO)

Premier's TV Special Offers Few Surprises
The Huffington Post B.C.

Christy Clark's TV address offered no new policy announcements or election promises Sunday night, but one key supporter said it offered viewers an unfiltered look at the premier ahead of the election starting Tuesday.

The special showed that Clark is "real people," that she's a "good listener" and a "good communicator," Brad Bennett, son of former Social Credit Premier Bill Bennett and a volunteer advisor with the B.C. Liberal campaign, told The Province newspaper.

The TV special, titled "Strong Economy, Secure Tomorrow," showed Clark sitting in The Diner Cafe in her Vancouver-Point Grey riding with a cross-section of B.C. voters as she made her case for re-election.

"When I signed up to be premier, I knew that I was going to do things that not everybody liked," Clark said in the video.

"But to me the nature of leadership is sticking to your guns, and it's holding true to the values you are raised with, and your principles, and that's what I've tried to do for the last two years."

Much of the special involved reiterating promises made through the throne speech, the provincial budget and the BC Jobs Plan, while offering few surprises except for the fact the party's platform would be released Monday.

Praise for the special wasn't exactly forthcoming from all quarters. While the TV special repackaged many of the commitments the party has made in its third term, it also glossed over the fact that 30,000 jobs have left the province since the government implemented the BC Jobs Plan, former NDP leader Carole James told The Vancouver Sun.

The TV special also slammed the B.C. NDP for being fiscally irresponsible while failing to mention that the province hasn't had a balanced budget for years, OMNI TV's Kim Emerson told News1130 Radio.

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B.C. Election 2013 Promises
NDP, Conservatives: End Corporate And Union Donations(01 of08)
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This gallery details promises that B.C. parties are making in the 2013 election.The B.C. NDP and the B.C. Conservatives both promise to end corporate and union donations. The NDP will end them starting in January, if elected to government, while Conservative Leader John Cummins says he proposed a similar ban two years ago. (credit:Canadian Press/Facebook)
NDP: Cut The B.C. Training And Education Savings Plan(02 of08)
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B.C. NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston announced on April 11, 2013 that the party would eliminate the Training and Education Savings Plan, which has provided $1,000 for every child born in B.C. into a government-managed education savings plan since 2007. The B.C. NDP estimates that cutting the program could save up to $30 million a year. (credit:Facebook)
NDP: Cut The Early Childhood Tax Credit(03 of08)
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The B.C. NDP has pledged to cut the early childhood tax benefit, which provides $55 a month to families with net income under $100,000 a year for every child under six. (credit:Alamy)
NDP: Expand The Carbon Tax(04 of08)
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The B.C. NDP has pledged to expand the province's carbon tax to include vented emissions from the oil and gas industry, and would not balance the carbon tax with tax reductions. (credit:Alamy)
NDP: Raise Corporate Income Taxes(05 of08)
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The B.C. NDP have pledged to raise the province's corporate income tax from 11 per cent to 12 per cent, which the party claims would add $100 million in revenue in 2013-14, and $200 million in 2014-15, the party said when it announced its fiscal plan. (credit:Alamy)
NDP: Increase Film Tax Credits(06 of08)
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The B.C. NDP has pledged to raise the province's film-labour tax credits by seven per cent, from 33 per cent to 40 per cent, for foreign and domestic productions. (credit:Alamy)
B.C. Conservatives: Northern Infrastructure Grants Program(07 of08)
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The B.C. Conservative Party has promised to create a five-year, $200 million grants program that would allow communities to fix up depleted roads and other infrastructure, the party announced in a news release on April 12, 2013. (credit:B.C. Conservative Party)
B.C. Conservatives: Northern And Interior Gang Crime Prosecutors Unit(08 of08)
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The B.C. Conservative Party has pledged $4 million to hire 10 prosecutors who would make up a Northern and Interior Gang Crime Prosecutors Unit, focused specifically on gang-related activity, the party announced in an April 10, 2013 news release. (credit:Alamy)

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